Method and system for controlling directivity of an audio source in a virtual reality environment

A method for rendering an audio signal of a first audio source to a listener within a virtual reality rendering environment, the method comprising,

• determining a control value for a listening situation of the listener within the virtual reality rendering environment based on a directivity control function;
• wherein the directivity control function provides different control values for different listening situations;
• wherein the control value is a function of a distance between a position of the first audio source and a listening position of the listener and wherein the control value is indicative of an extent to which a directivity of an audio source is to be taken into account;
• adjusting a directivity pattern of the first audio source in dependence of the control value;
• and
• rendering the audio signal of the first audio source in dependence of the adjusted directivity pattern of the first audio source to the listener within the virtual reality rendering environment.

A virtual reality audio renderer for rendering an audio signal of an audio source in a virtual reality rendering environment, wherein the audio renderer is configured to

• determine a distance of a source position of the audio source from a listening position of a listener within the virtual reality rendering environment;
• determine based on the distance whether or not a directivity pattern of the audio source is to be taken into account for a listening situation of the listener within the virtual reality rendering environment;
• render an audio signal of the audio source without taking into account the directivity pattern of the audio source, if it is determined that the directivity pattern of the audio source is not to be taken into account for the listening situation of the listener;
• and
• render the audio signal of the audio source in dependence of the directivity pattern of the audio source, if it is determined that the directivity pattern is to be taken into account for the listening situation of the listener.

A virtual reality audio renderer for rendering an audio signal of a first audio source to a listener within a virtual reality rendering environment, wherein the audio renderer is configured to

• determine a control value for a listening situation of the listener within the virtual reality rendering environment based on a directivity control function;
• wherein the directivity control function provides different control values for different listening situations;
• wherein the control value is a function of a distance between a listening position of the first audio source and a position of the listener and wherein the control value is indicative of an extent to which a directivity of an audio source is to be taken into account;
• adjust a directivity pattern of the first audio source in dependence of the control value;
• and
• render the audio signal of the first audio source in dependence of the adjusted directivity pattern of the first audio source to the listener within the virtual reality rendering environment.